JP6933638B2 - Vehicle control device, vehicle and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for controlling an autonomous driving vehicle, a vehicle, and a vehicle control method, and specifically, relates to a follow-up control technique for a preceding vehicle.

Automatic driving of a vehicle is realized by a traveling plan that detects the environment around the vehicle and determines the trajectory of the vehicle based on the detection result, and driving control that actually advances the vehicle to the trajectory. For example, by automatic driving, the vehicle can be controlled to follow the preceding vehicle and travel along the track on which the preceding vehicle is traveling.

In the control that follows the preceding vehicle, when the preceding vehicle moves in the lateral direction (vehicle width direction), the following vehicle is moved laterally along with the movement. That is, for example, when the preceding vehicle moves to the oncoming lane side, the vehicle may move to the oncoming lane side following the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, Patent Document 1 describes a method of ending the follow-up control when the preceding vehicle moves beyond the lane boundary line.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-162196

There are several levels of automation in automatic driving, and the automation level may be switched during the follow-up driving. When the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle is detected, it may be difficult for the driver to respond immediately if the follow-up control is suddenly terminated, so the driver's attention is drawn according to the automation level. , Lower the automatic operation level. On the contrary, when the preceding vehicle is running stably, the automation level is raised to the extent that the preceding vehicle can follow the running.

The lateral movement of the vehicle may be performed according to the traveling environment, and the lateral movement may easily occur depending on the traveling environment. In such a case, the automation level is likely to change due to the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle. Changes in the level of automation are accompanied by alerting the driver, causing complexity for the driver and discomfort for the driver and other occupants.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately alert the driver in an automatically driving vehicle that controls following a preceding vehicle. The purpose of this is to reduce the complexity and discomfort that the vehicle user receives.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
It ’s a vehicle control device,
An acquisition means for acquiring information on the surroundings including the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle, the shape of the road, the situation adjacent to the road, and at least one of the lane marks.
It has a control means for performing follow-up control for following the preceding vehicle based on the above information.
The control means controls the running of the vehicle in either a first driving state in which the driver needs to prepare for driving and a second driving state in which the driver does not need to prepare for driving.
If the amount of behavior of the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold value, it is controlled in the first operating state, and if it does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, it is controlled in the second operating state.
The threshold value is changed based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the situation adjacent to the road, the type of lane mark, and information indicating the decrease in lanes or width of the road, or at least one of them. Vehicle control device is provided.

According to the present invention, in an automatically driving vehicle that controls following a preceding vehicle, it is possible to appropriately alert the driver. As a result, it is possible to reduce the complexity and discomfort that the vehicle user receives.

The block diagram of the vehicle control device which concerns on embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of a follow-up run. A flowchart showing a travel control process. The flowchart which shows the 1st Embodiment of the threshold value setting process of lateral movement. The flowchart which shows the 2nd and 3rd Embodiment of the threshold value setting process of lateral movement. The flowchart which shows the 4th and 5th embodiments of the threshold value setting process of lateral movement.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same or similar configuration will be given the same reference number, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

Further, the following embodiments are based on the premise that the vehicle is traveling on the left side. That is, the right side can be rephrased as the oncoming lane side, and the left side can be rephrased as the road shoulder side. Therefore, in a traffic environment in which the vehicle travels on the right side, the left side is on the oncoming lane side and the right side is on the shoulder side. Therefore, the following embodiments should be read by exchanging the right side and the left side.

[First Embodiment]
● Configuration of Automobile Driving Vehicle Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a vehicle control device according to the present embodiment for controlling the vehicle 1. Although the description is made assuming that the vehicle control device is provided inside the vehicle 1, the vehicle control device may exist outside the vehicle 1, and the vehicle can be communicated with the vehicle 1 by communicating with the vehicle 1. 1 may be controlled. In FIG. 1, the outline of the vehicle 1 is shown in a plan view and a side view. Vehicle 1 is, for example, a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger car. The vehicle 1 may be a vehicle other than four wheels such as a two-wheeled vehicle.

The vehicle control device of FIG. 1 includes a control unit 2. The control unit 2 includes a plurality of ECUs 20 to 29 that are communicably connected by an in-vehicle network. Each ECU (Electronic Control Unit) includes a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like.

Hereinafter, the functions and the like that each ECU 20 to 29 is in charge of will be described. The number of ECUs and the functions in charge can be appropriately designed for the vehicle 1, and can be subdivided or integrated from the present embodiment.

The ECU 20 executes control related to the automatic driving of the vehicle 1. In automatic driving, at least one of steering of the vehicle 1 and acceleration / deceleration is automatically controlled.

The ECU 21 controls the electric power steering device 3. The electric power steering device 3 includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in response to a driver's driving operation (steering operation) with respect to the steering wheel 31. Further, the electric power steering device 3 includes a motor that assists the steering operation or exerts a driving force for automatically steering the front wheels, a sensor that detects the steering angle, and the like. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is automatic driving, the ECU 21 automatically controls the electric power steering device 3 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

The ECUs 22 and 23 control the detection units 41 to 43 for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle and process the information processing of the detection results. The detection unit 41 is a camera that photographs the front of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 41), and in the case of the present embodiment, it is attached to the vehicle interior side of the front window at the front of the roof of the vehicle 1. Be done. By analyzing the image taken by the camera 41, it is possible to extract the outline of the target and the lane marking line (white line or the like) on the road.

The detection unit 42 is a Light Detection and Ranger (LIDAR: lidar) (hereinafter, may be referred to as a lidar 42), detects a target around the vehicle 1, and measures a distance from the target. .. In the case of the present embodiment, five riders 42 are provided, one in each corner of the front portion of the vehicle 1, one in the center of the rear portion, and one on each side of the rear portion. The detection unit 43 is a millimeter-wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as a radar 43), detects a target around the vehicle 1, and measures a distance from the target. In the case of the present embodiment, five radars 43 are provided, one in the center of the front portion of the vehicle 1, one in each corner of the front portion, and one in each corner of the rear portion.

The ECU 22 controls one of the cameras 41 and each rider 42, and processes information processing of the detection result. The ECU 23 controls the other camera 41 and each radar 43, and processes information processing of the detection result. By equipping two sets of devices that detect the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, the reliability of the detection results can be improved, and by equipping different types of detection units such as cameras, riders, and radar, the surrounding environment of the vehicle can be analyzed. Can be done in multiple ways.

The ECU 24 controls the gyro sensor 5, the GPS sensor 24b, and the communication device 24c, and processes the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 5 detects the rotational movement of the vehicle 1. The course of the vehicle 1 can be determined from the detection result of the gyro sensor 5, the wheel speed, and the like. The GPS sensor 24b detects the current position of the vehicle 1. The communication device 24c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires such information. The ECU 24 can access the map information database 24a built in the storage device, and the ECU 24 searches for a route from the current location to the destination.

The ECU 25 includes a communication device 25a for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication device 25a wirelessly communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity and exchanges information between the vehicles.

The ECU 26 controls the power plant 6. The power plant 6 is a mechanism that outputs a driving force for rotating the driving wheels of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, an engine and a transmission. The ECU 26 controls the engine output in response to the driver's driving operation (accelerator operation or acceleration operation) detected by the operation detection sensor 7a provided on the accelerator pedal 7A, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 7c, or the like. The shift stage of the transmission is switched based on the information of. When the operating state of the vehicle 1 is automatic operation, the ECU 26 automatically controls the power plant 6 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1.

The ECU 27 controls a light device (head light, tail light, etc.) including the direction indicator 8. In the case of the example of FIG. 1, the direction indicator 8 is provided on the front portion, the door mirror, and the rear portion of the vehicle 1.

The ECU 28 controls the input / output device 9. The input / output device 9 outputs information to the driver and accepts input of information from the driver. The voice output device 91 notifies the driver of information by voice. The display device 92 notifies the driver of information by displaying an image. The display device 92 is arranged on the surface of the driver's seat, for example, and constitutes an instrument panel or the like. In addition, although voice and display are illustrated here, information may be notified by vibration or light. In addition, information may be transmitted by combining a plurality of voices, displays, vibrations, and lights. Further, the combination may be different or the notification mode may be different depending on the level of information to be notified (for example, the degree of urgency).

The input device 93 is a group of switches that are arranged at a position that can be operated by the driver and give instructions to the vehicle 1, but a voice input device may also be included.

The ECU 29 controls the braking device 10 and the parking brake (not shown). The brake device 10 is, for example, a disc brake device, which is provided on each wheel of the vehicle 1 and decelerates or stops the vehicle 1 by applying resistance to the rotation of the wheels. The ECU 29 controls the operation of the brake device 10 in response to the driver's driving operation (brake operation) detected by the operation detection sensor 7b provided on the brake pedal 7B, for example. When the operating state of the vehicle 1 is automatic operation, the ECU 29 automatically controls the brake device 10 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control deceleration and stop of the vehicle 1. The braking device 10 and the parking brake can also be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1. Further, when the transmission of the power plant 6 is provided with a parking lock mechanism, this can be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1.

In addition, although not shown, the vehicle 1 is provided with a steering wheel grip sensor that detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel 31, and a face image of the driver to identify the direction of the line of sight. It is equipped with a driver monitor that detects that it is monitoring the front or surroundings of the vehicle. For example, the ECU 20 can determine from the detection results of these sensors and monitors whether or not the driver is performing a task (peripheral monitoring task, steering wheel gripping task, etc.) imposed according to the automatic driving level.

● Outline of Control of Follow-up Travel The vehicle control device of the present embodiment automatically operates the vehicle 1 based on the information of the surrounding environment obtained by at least one of the camera 41, the rider 42, and the radar 43 in the ECU 20. Perform control related to. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 1 follows the preceding vehicle traveling in the same lane. That is, the vehicle 1 executes acceleration / deceleration and steering control so as to travel along the trajectory on which the preceding vehicle has traveled. Then, while such follow-up control is being performed, the vehicle 1 moves in the lateral direction (the left-right direction and the vehicle width direction intersecting the traveling direction of the vehicle) beyond a predetermined threshold value. When or when it is predicted, the driver is required to perform a predetermined task such as a peripheral monitoring task or a handle gripping task. The vehicle 1 may lower the level of automatic driving in place of or in combination with the execution request of such a predetermined task. In this example, it is assumed that a task is required when lowering the level of automatic driving. In this case, the follow-up control in the lateral direction is continued at least until it is decided to end the follow-up control to the preceding vehicle. This is constant for the driver in advance because it is assumed that when the preceding vehicle is detected or predicted to move laterally beyond a predetermined threshold value, the follow-up control will end. It is done to make the action of. According to this, even if the preceding vehicle continues to move laterally and changes lanes, the driver is in a state of executing the peripheral monitoring task and the steering wheel gripping task, so that the follow-up control is performed. It can be finished and the control can be smoothly transferred to the driver.

On the other hand, if the preceding vehicle is moving laterally to avoid an obstacle, for example, it is assumed that the preceding vehicle will eventually return to the traveling lane. In this case, since the follow-up control to the preceding vehicle is continued, the lateral control following the preceding vehicle is executed in the vehicle 1. According to this, although the driver performs a predetermined task or the level of automatic driving is lowered, the vehicle 1 is automatically driven, so that the driver is only charged with a sufficiently small driving burden. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the driving burden of the driver as a whole. Further, for example, even if there is an obstacle that cannot be avoided by the follow-up control, the driver recognizes the obstacle and avoids it because the driver monitors the surroundings and grips the steering wheel. Is possible. As the predetermined threshold value, in the present embodiment, the amount of lateral movement of the preceding vehicle from the reference position determined in the road width direction is determined, and the value is used. The reference position may be, for example, the center of the lane boundary line (also referred to as a lane mark) that defines the lane, or the center position in the width direction of the following vehicle. In addition to this, the position may be a predetermined distance from one lane boundary line as a reference. Further, instead of the lane boundary line, a track boundary determined by planting or a guardrail may be used. Further, in the present embodiment, the threshold value is not fixed and is changed according to the surrounding environment such as the road on which the driver is traveling to alert the driver early or, conversely, to suppress frequent alerts. Achieve appropriate automatic operation level changes such as.

FIG. 2 shows a state when the follow-up control is performed. FIG. 2A is an example in which the center of the lane is adopted as the reference position. The traveling lane is divided into a lane boundary line 211 on the left side and a lane boundary line 212 on the right side. The left side of the lane boundary line 211 is the shoulder 213, and the right side of the lane boundary line 212 is an adjacent traveling lane in the same direction. However, it may be an adjacent lane instead of the shoulder 213, and the right side of the lane boundary line 212 may be an oncoming lane or a shoulder. The vehicle 201 (hereinafter, also referred to as a following vehicle 201) is an automatically driven vehicle having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, and performs following control on a preceding vehicle 202 (also referred to as a preceding vehicle 202). In FIG. 2A, the reference position 221 for lateral movement of the preceding vehicle 202 is the center position of the road width, that is, the center of the lane boundary line 211 and the lane boundary line 212. For this position, for example, the left and right lane boundary lines (hereinafter, also referred to as boundary lines) may be specified from the image captured by the camera 41, and the center thereof may be determined. The distance between two points in the image taken by the camera 41 can be specified if the distance to the point is known. Therefore, if the distance to the rear end of the preceding vehicle 202 is measured by a radar 43 or the like and the central portion of the vehicle width of the preceding vehicle 202 is specified in the image, the amount of lateral movement of the preceding vehicle 202 with respect to the reference position can be determined. It can be identified from the image. In order to determine the central position 221 of the road width, for example, the lane width at the traveling position is obtained from the map information, and the distance of half the lane width is shifted toward the center of the lane from either the left or right boundary line. May be used as the reference position. In this way, the difference between the reference position and the central position 222 in the width direction of the preceding vehicle (this may be referred to as the position of the preceding vehicle) is specified as the amount of lateral movement of the preceding vehicle 223. Follow-up driving is controlled by comparing this amount with the threshold value and changing the level of automatic driving.

FIG. 2B shows an example in which the center position in the width direction of the following vehicle 201 is adopted as the reference position for lateral movement. The center position in the width direction of the following vehicle 201 can be specified, for example, in the image taken by the camera 41, according to the installation position of the camera and the distance to the rear end of the preceding vehicle 202 for which the center position is to be determined. For example, if the camera 41 is installed facing the front (straight direction) at the center of the vehicle body in the width direction, the lateral center line of the captured image corresponds to the center of the following vehicle 201 in the width direction. When the mounting position of the camera 41 is offset to the left or right from the center in the width direction of the vehicle, the center of the following vehicle 201 is directed forward from the distance to the preceding vehicle 202 and the offset amount of the camera 41. The extended position can be specified on the screen. This position is the reference position 231 in FIG. 2B, and the amount of lateral movement 233 of the preceding vehicle 202 can be determined based on this.

● Vehicle tracking control FIG. 3 shows an example of a vehicle tracking control procedure executed by, for example, the ECU 20. As a premise of FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the follow-up running is performed at two automatic driving levels. One is a level that is allowed hands off the driver releases the hand from the steering wheel (which is referred to a high level or a second operating condition), the level other is the hands to hold the steering wheel imposed ( This is called the low level or the first operating state). There is a lower level of automatic driving, but follow-up driving is not performed at that level. It should be noted that the determination of hands-on can be performed based on the detection signal of the steering grip sensor described above. In the first operating state, hands-on is requested and preparation for operation is required so that the driver can immediately take over the operation. On the other hand, in the second driving state, hands-off is allowed, and the driver does not have to take over the driving immediately.

First, information on the preceding vehicle and the traveling path is acquired (S301). The information to be acquired includes, for example, image data taken by the camera 41, map information acquired from the server, distance information to the preceding vehicle acquired by the radar 43, and the like. Especially in the image data, the preceding vehicle and the lane boundary line are important, and those objects are recognized from the image. Then, the behavior of the preceding vehicle is specified based on the acquired information (S303). Here, we pay particular attention to the movement in the road width direction, that is, the lateral movement. Therefore, based on the acquired information, the reference position 221 (center of the traveling lane) or the reference position 231 (center of the vehicle 201) is specified in the image, and the distance from the center position 222 of the preceding vehicle is specified. do. This distance is called the lateral movement amount or simply the movement amount.

Next, the current level of automatic driving is determined (S305). If the automatic operation level is high, that is, hands-off is allowed, the process branches to step S307. On the other hand, if the automatic operation level is low, that is, hands-off is not allowed, the process branches to step S317. When it is determined that the level is high, it is determined whether the movement amount exceeds the threshold value and continues for a certain period of time (S307). For this determination, for example, a counter indicating the duration is provided, and when the movement amount exceeds the threshold value, the waiting time in step S315, which will be described later, is added to the counter. Then, this counter is reset to 0 if the movement amount is within the threshold value. In step S307, if it is determined that the movement amount exceeds the threshold value and the counter value exceeds the predetermined time, the process branches to step S309. The predetermined time may be, for example, one second or several seconds. Further, the threshold value to be compared with the movement amount is given by the procedure of FIGS. 4 to 6 described later based on a standard value such as 90 cm. Although FIG. 3 forms a processing loop, the ECU 20 can execute other tasks in parallel at step S315 or other non-critical timing by executing the process in a multitasking environment.

When the movement threshold value is continuously exceeded for a certain period of time, the vehicle first requests the driver to execute a predetermined task in order to lower the level of automatic driving (S309). This task is, for example, hands-on, gripping the steering wheel. Further, this requirement may be realized by, for example, audio output, display output, vibration of the sheet, or the like. After that, it is determined whether the driver has executed the task (S311). Since it takes a certain period of time to execute the task, it is desirable to repeat step S311 for a certain period of time to determine whether the task has been executed within that time. When the task is executed, the automatic operation level is lowered to a low level, and hands-on is changed to the required level. At levels where hands-on is required, the steering grip sensor may continuously check that the driver is gripping the steering. In this case, the follow-up run is pending. On the other hand, if the task is not executed within a certain period of time, the danger avoidance operation is executed (S325). The danger avoidance operation may be, for example, stopping the vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, or, when the road shoulder can be detected, stopping the vehicle closer to the road shoulder. After that, it waits for a predetermined time and repeats from step S301 (S315). The predetermined time may be, for example, 0.1 seconds. If it is determined that the driver is not gripping the steering wheel while driving with the hands-on automatic driving bell, a warning to the driver may be given, and if the driver does not respond, a danger avoidance operation may be performed.

On the other hand, if the automatic driving level is determined to be low in step S305 and hands-off is not permitted, it is determined whether the movement amount of the preceding vehicle continues within the threshold value for a certain period of time (S317). Although this determination differs in that the movement amount is within the threshold value, "exceeding the threshold value" can be read as "within the threshold value" and can be realized in the same manner as in step S307. When it is determined that the movement amount of the preceding vehicle continues within the threshold value for a certain period of time, the automatic driving level is raised to shift to a high level where hands-off is permitted (S319). At a high level, the steering grip sensor continues to follow the vehicle even if it detects that the steering is not gripped. After that, the process proceeds to step S307 to control the follow-up running at a new automatic driving level. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S317 that the movement amount of the preceding vehicle has not continued for a certain period of time within the threshold value, the current traveling level is maintained (S321). After that, it branches to step S315.

Note that FIG. 3 is a control on the premise that the follow-up control has already been performed. When starting the follow-up control from the state where the follow-up control is not performed, in step S319, the automatic operation level may be set to a level at which hands-on is required and the follow-up control is performed, and the follow-up control may be started. .. As described above, the raising and lowering of the automatic operation level for which the follow-up control is performed is controlled.

● Setting the threshold value for lateral movement FIG. 4 is a procedure for setting the threshold value referred to in steps S307 and S317 of FIG. 3 according to the present embodiment. The procedure of FIG. 4 may be executed in parallel with the procedure of FIG. 4 by, for example, the ECU 20. First, the situation regarding the surroundings is acquired (S401). In this step, the information to be acquired may be the same as in step S301 of FIG. 3, but the information of interest is different. In this step, for example, we focus on the curvature of the curve while driving, whether the curve is a right turn or a left turn, and whether or not it is a shoulder on the left side, which is obtained from map information. Furthermore, we pay attention to whether the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle, which is obtained from the image data, is right or left, and the type of lane boundary line (also called a lane mark).

Next, it is first determined whether the current travel path is a curve (S403). For example, when the curvature of the road is equal to or more than a certain value, it is determined to be a curve. The curvature of the road may be obtained from the map information. Alternatively, the contour of the road (for example, the runway between the guardrails) may be detected from the point sequence data acquired by LiDAR, and the curvature of the road may be determined based on the contour. Alternatively, the curvature when the lane boundary line is projected onto a plane may be calculated from the distribution of the distance between the image obtained by the camera and the road surface specified by the radar 43. Further, as a constant value serving as a threshold value for determination, for example, a curvature that tends to be more likely to be inside the curve during traveling may be experimentally obtained and that value may be used. Further, not only the curvature but also the distance to which the curvature continues may be added to the criterion for determination. For example, even if the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling exceeds a certain curvature, it is considered that if the distance is small, the lateral movement accompanying the curve is also small. Therefore, the distance that the curve continues may be obtained from the map information, and if the curvature exceeds a certain curvature and it exceeds a certain distance, it may be determined as a curve. The larger the curvature, the smaller the radius of the curve.

If it is determined in step S403 that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a curve, the threshold value for the amount of lateral movement is set to the threshold value (small) (S417). Then, the process returns to step S401. The threshold value (small) is a threshold value smaller than the standard threshold value. For example, if the standard threshold value (indicated as the threshold (standard)) is 0.9 meters, the threshold (small) may be, for example, 0.5 meters, which is about half of that. Of course, these numerical values are examples, and the standard values may be changed according to the width of the road on which the vehicle travels, the width of the vehicle, and the like. Decreasing the threshold value means that the sensitivity to lateral movement becomes high, and it is easy to lower the level of automatic driving according to the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle. It is easy to move laterally to the center side while traveling on a curve, and it is considered that the larger the curvature, the more remarkable the tendency. Therefore, on a curve with a large curvature (that is, a small radius), a lateral movement smaller than a straight line lowers the automatic operation level. As a result, the possibility of deviation from the lane of the preceding vehicle can be detected earlier, and unintended tracking can be prevented.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S403 that the traveling road is not a curve, it is determined whether the left side of the traveling lane is the shoulder (S405). This determination may be made based on map information, for example. When it is determined that the vehicle is on the shoulder, it is determined whether the preceding vehicle is moving to the left (S407). Here, for example, when it is detected that the center position 222 of the preceding vehicle is deviated from the reference position 221 or 231 to the left side, it may be determined that there is a movement to the left side. Alternatively, the temporal transition may be measured. For example, if the amount of lateral movement over a certain period of time gradually increases toward the left side, it may be determined that the amount of lateral movement is moving to the left side. When it is determined in step S407 that the preceding vehicle is moving to the left side, it is determined whether the preceding vehicle is decelerating at a deceleration exceeding a predetermined value (S419). This determination may be based on, for example, the speed of the preceding vehicle measured by the radar 43. When it is determined that the vehicle is decelerating, the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is set to the threshold value (small) (S417). As a result, in a situation where the vehicle is expected to stop on the shoulder, it is possible to alert the driver early and prepare for the stop of the follow-up driving. If it is determined in step S419 that the preceding vehicle is not decelerating at a deceleration exceeding a predetermined value, the process returns to step S401.

If it is not determined in step S407 that the preceding vehicle is moving to the left, it is determined whether the right side of the current lane is the traveling lane in the current traveling direction (S409). When it is determined that the vehicle is in the traveling lane in the current traveling direction, it is determined whether the preceding vehicle is moving to the right (S411). This determination may be performed in the same manner as in step S407 by exchanging the left and right sides. When it is determined that the vehicle is moving to the right side, the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is set to the threshold value (small) (S417). As a result, it is possible to predict the lane change of the preceding vehicle at an early stage and alert the driver to take action.

If it is determined in step S411 that the movement is not to the right, the type of the left and right lane marks is determined from the image (S413). If either the left or right side is a white broken line, the process branches to step S417 and the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is set to the threshold value (small). As a result, it is possible to predict a lane change early and alert the driver to take action. In this case, the threshold value of the lateral movement amount may be set separately on the left and right, and the threshold value of the lateral movement amount may be set to the threshold value (small) only on the side of the white broken line.

When it is determined in step S413 that the lane marks are other than the white lines on both the left and right sides, the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is set to a value corresponding to the lane width, that is, the lane width sandwiched between the left and right lane marks (S415). For example, if the lane width is standard (for example, 3.5 meters), the standard lateral movement threshold (for example, 0.9 meters) is used. Then, with that as a reference, a threshold value for the amount of lateral movement proportional to the lane width may be set. As a result, when traveling in a wide lane, the allowable amount of lateral movement can be increased, and when traveling in a narrow lane, the allowable amount can be decreased.

According to the above configuration and procedure, in the present embodiment, when the preceding vehicle moves laterally even though it intends to drive in the same lane, a threshold value that makes it difficult to lower the level of automatic driving is set. On the contrary, when there is a possibility that the preceding vehicle has an intention of moving in a lane or stopping, that fact can be detected as soon as possible to alert the driver. The alerted driver can hold the steering wheel to prepare for manual overriding of automatic driving or switching to manual driving.

[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of setting the lateral movement threshold value. In the present embodiment, among the determinations of each reference performed in the procedure of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, the curvature of the curve is adopted as a reference to determine the threshold value of the lateral movement amount. FIG. 5A shows a procedure for determining the threshold value based on the curve curvature. In FIG. 4, the curvature of the traveling curve was determined by comparing the curvature of the traveling curve with the predetermined curvature, and the threshold value of the lateral movement amount was determined to be either large or small. When acquired (S501), the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is determined according to the curvature of the traveling curve (S503). For example, the association between the curvature and the threshold value may be determined in advance, and the threshold value equal to or higher than the horizontal value may be determined based on the curvature of the traveling curve and the determined association. For example, the larger the curvature, the smaller the threshold value, and the automatic driving level may be easily lowered with respect to the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle. In this way, it is possible to detect the deviation from the lane during the curve traveling earlier, and prepare for the correction of the traveling line by the manual driving and the end of the following traveling. Since FIGS. 1 to 3 are common to the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted.

[Third Embodiment]
The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of setting the lateral movement threshold value. In the present embodiment, among the determinations of each criterion performed in the procedure of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, the inside and outside of the curve are adopted as the reference, and the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is determined. FIG. 5B shows a procedure for determining the threshold value based on the inside and outside of the curve. FIG. 5B executes step S511 corresponding to step S401 of FIG. 4, and then determines whether the currently traveling lane is on the outer peripheral side or the inner peripheral side of the curve (S513). This determination may be made based on the map information and the current direction of travel. If the vehicle is traveling in a lane on the outer peripheral side, that is, outside the arc of the curve, the threshold value of the lateral movement amount is set to a threshold value (large) larger than the standard threshold value (S515). This makes changes in the level of automatic driving less sensitive to lateral movement. On the other hand, if the traveling curve is on the inner peripheral side, a threshold value (standard) is set as the threshold value for lateral movement (S517). In this way, it is possible to detect the deviation from the lane during the curve traveling earlier, and prepare for the correction of the traveling line by the manual driving and the end of the following traveling. Since FIGS. 1 to 3 are common to the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted. As a result, while traveling on the outer peripheral side of the curve, the change in the automatic driving level becomes less sensitive to lateral movement. Since it is easy to cut inward on a curve, especially when traveling on the outer peripheral side of the curve, a large amount of lateral movement of the preceding vehicle is allowed compared to when traveling straight, making it difficult to lower the automatic driving level. In this way, it is possible to stabilize automatic driving by making it difficult for the driver to be alerted on a curve that is easy to move laterally even if there is no intention of changing lanes. The reason why the threshold value is not changed on the inner peripheral side is that the radius is smaller than that on the outer peripheral side, and it is considered that more attention of the driver is required. Further, as a variation of the present embodiment, a standard threshold value may be set in step S515 on the outer peripheral side, and a small threshold value may be set in step S517 on the inner peripheral side. Alternatively, a large threshold value may be set in step S515 on the outer peripheral side, and a small threshold value may be set in step S517 on the inner peripheral side.

[Fourth Embodiment]
The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of setting the lateral movement threshold value. In the present embodiment, among the determinations of the criteria performed in the procedure of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, the lateral movement amount is adopted based on the fact that the traveling lane is adjacent to the road shoulder or the traveling lane. Determine the threshold of. In FIG. 6A, the processes corresponding to steps S413 to S419, S423, S425, and S411 in FIG. 4 are executed. However, if it is determined in step S617 (corresponding to step S419) that the movement has not moved to the right, a standard threshold value is set as the threshold value for the lateral movement amount (S619). As a result, in a situation where the vehicle is expected to stop on the shoulder, it is possible to alert the driver early and prepare for the stop of the follow-up driving. Furthermore, it is possible to predict the lane change of the preceding vehicle at an early stage and alert the driver to take action.

[Fifth Embodiment]
The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of setting the lateral movement threshold value. In the present embodiment, the threshold value for lateral movement is set by the procedure shown in FIG. 6B. In FIG. 6B, when information on the surrounding situation is first acquired, it is determined whether the lane mark is a double broken line (S631). If it is a double broken line, a smaller threshold value is set as the threshold value of the lateral movement amount (S633). As a result, the possibility that the preceding vehicle will change lanes is estimated at an early stage. It is possible to prompt the driver to hands-on and promptly respond even if the follow-up driving is completed. In addition, a process corresponding to S427 in FIG. 4 may be executed to set a threshold value for lateral movement according to the lane width. The criteria for setting the threshold for lateral movement are not limited to the above explanation, and the automatic driving level can be changed to hands-on at an early stage by detecting a movement that is expected to change lanes or stop, or conversely, change lanes or stop. It is possible to detect difficult situations and maintain a hands-off automatic driving bell.

[Other Embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the threshold value is not fixed, but is changed according to the surrounding environment such as the road on which the vehicle is traveling, so that the driver is alerted early or, conversely, frequent alerts are suppressed. , An example of realizing an appropriate change of the automatic operation level was explained. As a variation example, when the following information is available, the information may be prioritized and the determination threshold value of the lateral movement amount of the preceding vehicle may be reduced. As a method of reducing the threshold value, for example, if the threshold value is set stepwise, the threshold value may be gradually reduced step by step.
1) Lane reduction information due to construction of own lane + adjacent lane + its sign:
This information can be obtained from, for example, an image taken by the camera 41, or can be obtained by communication. This information can also be obtained by recognizing the guardrail by the rider 42 and recognizing that the number of lanes is decreasing. The reason for lowering the threshold is that if the width becomes narrower, the driver needs to pay particular attention to lateral movement. 2) When the road shape has a (narrow) width below the specified value:
This information is information obtained based on, for example, a camera, a rider, or a map. Also in this case, if the width becomes equal to or less than the predetermined width, the threshold value is reduced by one step. In this case, the threshold value is lowered for the same reason as in (1).
3) Threshold based on legal speed information:
This information can be obtained, for example, from signs taken by a camera or map information. In this case, if the vehicle speed is low, the deviation from the preceding vehicle is detected with high sensitivity at a low threshold value. A predetermined speed may be set for this "low vehicle speed", and if the speed is lower than that, the threshold value may be lowered by one step. This is because, for example, in an environment where the width is narrow, such as a curve, more attention is required, and the legal speed tends to decrease. Therefore, the driver needs to pay particular attention to lateral movement.
4) Lane reduction sign:
This information can be obtained, for example, from images taken by a camera or a map. For example, if a sign that the right lane disappears is detected while driving in the left lane of two lanes on each side, the threshold value is changed to a smaller threshold value in order to make it easier to detect lateral movement to the right. This also applies to the left side.

In this way, even when information indicating the decrease in lanes or width of the road or information indicating the decrease in width is obtained, the threshold value for lowering the automatic driving level of the own vehicle with respect to the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle is set based on the information. By making it smaller, the driver can call attention at an earlier timing.

● Summary of Embodiment As described above, the threshold value of the joint amount of the preceding vehicle, that is, the lateral movement amount is changed based on the road shape, the situation adjacent to the road, the type of the lane mark, or at least one of them. Can be done. As a result, it is possible to suppress an excessive transition of the driving state based on the road environment, and it is possible to stably provide automatic driving.

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention.
It ’s a vehicle control device,
An acquisition means for acquiring information on the surroundings including the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle, the shape of the road, the situation adjacent to the road, and at least one of the lane marks.
It has a control means for performing follow-up control for following the preceding vehicle based on the above information.
The control means controls the running of the vehicle in either a first driving state in which the driver needs to prepare for driving and a second driving state in which the driver does not need to prepare for driving.
If the amount of behavior of the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold value, it is controlled in the first operating state, and if it does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, it is controlled in the second operating state.
The threshold value is changed based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the situation adjacent to the road, the type of lane mark, and information indicating the decrease in lanes or width of the road, or at least one of them. Vehicle control device is provided.
As a result, excessive transition can be suppressed based on the road environment, and stable automatic driving can be provided.

(2) According to the second aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to (1).
The road shape is the curvature of the curve.
The control means provides a vehicle control device characterized in that when the curvature is larger, the threshold value is made smaller than when the curvature is small.
As a result, it is possible to detect the deviation at the time of traveling on a curve earlier and to make a state transition.

(3) According to the third aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to (1) or (2).
The road shape is different from the inner circumference side or the outer circumference side of the curve.
The control means is provided with a vehicle control device characterized in that the threshold value is made smaller on the inner peripheral side than on the outer peripheral side.
As a result, it is possible to allow deviation to the inner peripheral side of the curve and provide stable automatic operation.

(4) According to the fourth aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (3).
The situation adjacent to the road is a situation in which one side of the traveling lane is the other traveling lane and the other side is the shoulder.
The control means reduces the threshold when the preceding vehicle moves to the one side.
Provided is a vehicle control device characterized in that the threshold value is increased when the preceding vehicle moves to the other side.
This makes it possible to detect movement to the adjacent lane faster than movement to the shoulder.

(5) According to the fifth aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to (4).
The control means is provided with a vehicle control device characterized in that when the preceding vehicle moves to the other side, the threshold value is reduced when the preceding vehicle is decelerating.
This makes it possible to estimate from the deceleration state whether or not the movement to the shoulder is intentional.

(6) According to the sixth aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (5).
The control means is provided with a vehicle control device characterized in that when the lane mark of the traveling lane is a double broken line, the threshold value is made smaller as compared with the case where the lane mark is not.
As a result, if there is a high possibility of intentional lateral movement such as a lane change, the lane change can be detected at an early timing.

(7) According to the seventh aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (5).
The control means provides a vehicle control device characterized in that when the lane mark of the traveling lane is not a white broken line, the threshold value is made smaller than when the lane mark is a white broken line.
As a result, if there is a high possibility of intentional lateral movement such as a lane change, the lane change can be detected at an early timing.

(8) According to the eighth aspect of the present invention.
The vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (7).
When the distance between the lane marks sandwiching the traveling lane is large, the vehicle control device is provided, characterized in that the threshold value is increased as compared with the case where the distance is small.
As a result, if the lane width is wide, a large lateral movement can be allowed and a stable driving state can be maintained.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, in order to make the scope of the present invention public, the following claims are attached.

1 vehicle, 2 control unit, 20 ECU, 201 following vehicle, 202 preceding vehicle, 211 lane boundary line, 212 lane boundary line, 211 lane boundary line, 221 lane center position, 222 preceding vehicle center position, 223 lateral movement amount

Claims (10)

It ’s a vehicle control device,
An acquisition means for acquiring information on the surroundings including the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle, the shape of the road, the situation adjacent to the road, and at least one of the lane marks.
It has a control means for performing follow-up control for following the preceding vehicle based on the above information.
The control means controls the running of the vehicle in either a first driving state in which a driving task by the driver is required or a second driving state in which the driving task is relaxed.
If the amount of behavior of the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold value, it is controlled in the first operating state, and if it does not exceed, it is controlled in the second operating state.
The threshold value is changed based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the situation adjacent to the road, the type of lane mark, and information indicating the decrease in lanes or width of the road, or at least one of them. Vehicle control device. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.
The driving task includes the operation of the steering wheel.
When the control means transitions from the second operating state to the first operating state,
Detects the presence or absence of steering wheel operation within a certain period of time and detects
A vehicle control device characterized in that when the operation of the steering wheel is not detected within a certain period of time, an avoidance operation is performed. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.
The road shape is the curvature of the curve.
The control means is a vehicle control device, characterized in that when the curvature is larger, the threshold value is made smaller than when the curvature is small. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The road shape is different from the inner circumference side or the outer circumference side of the curve.
The control means is a vehicle control device characterized in that the threshold value is made smaller on the inner peripheral side than on the outer peripheral side. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The situation adjacent to the road is a situation in which one side of the traveling lane is the other traveling lane and the other side is the shoulder.
The control means reduces the threshold when the preceding vehicle moves to the one side.
A vehicle control device characterized in that the threshold value is increased when the preceding vehicle moves to the other side. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.
The control means is a vehicle control device characterized in that when the preceding vehicle moves to the other side, the threshold value is reduced when the preceding vehicle is decelerating. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The control means is a vehicle control device characterized in that when the lane mark of the traveling lane is a double broken line, the threshold value is made smaller than that in the case where the lane mark is not. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The control means is a vehicle control device characterized in that when the lane mark of the traveling lane is not a white broken line, the threshold value is made smaller than when the lane mark is a white broken line. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
A vehicle control device characterized in that when the distance between lane marks sandwiching a traveling lane is large, the threshold value is increased as compared with the case where the distance is small. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The control means is a vehicle control device that performs follow-up control for following a preceding vehicle traveling in the same lane in both the first driving state and the second driving state.

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